Bruins rely on Matt Grzelcyk’s adaptability to get through tough times on defense

Mike Loftus The Patriot Ledger

Friday

May 10, 2019 at 6:40 PM

Injuries have forced the Bruins to mix and match on defense from the start of the season all the way into the Eastern Conference finals. Matt Grzelcyk’s versatility has been invaluable.

BOSTON -- They got through it, as usual.

Also as usual: Matt Grelcyk didn’t get much of the credit.

The applause on Thursday night was extended mostly to Steven Kampfer and Connor Clifton, whose efforts on defense helped the Bruins overcome the absence of suspended ice time leader Charlie McAvoy and beat the Hurricanes in Game 1 of the NHL’s Eastern Conference finals, 5-2. Kampfer, the veteran journeyman who had made only one other playoff appearance, played almost 15 minutes and scored a goal. Clifton, an undrafted second-year pro who played only 19 regular-season games, saw 18 minutes of ice time, most of it next to B’s captain Zdeno Chara.

Grzelcyk? He played a little more than usual (18:42, up from 17:13 over the previous 13 playoff games), but as become standard, he did a bit of everything -- gave Kampfer a solid partner at even strength, played on the second power play, even helped kill penalties.

“He’s a guy we’ve moved around,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said of Grzelcyk, the second-year NHLer who, when training camp convened last September, was seen as the most likely defense candidate to lose his spot among the Bruins’ Top 6. “He’s a smart player, so he can adjust to whatever we’re doing.”

Grzelcyk, 25, has done that all season.

When Torey Krug’s ankle injury kept him from starting the season on time, Grzelcyk filled Krug’s spot on the Bruins’ top power play unit. When injuries to McAvoy, Kevan Miller (Grzelcyk’s usual even strength partner) and Brandon Carlo wiped out the right side of the defense corps, Grzelcyk moved to his off-side and played with Chara. He did that again later in the season when paired with veteran John Moore -- whose offseason acquisition was supposed to threaten Grzelcyk’s ice time. With Miller injured throughout the playoffs, and Moore only available for four games so far, the B’s have paired Grzelcyk with the still-green Clifton.

Grzelcyk, who’ll probably be teamed again when McAvoy returns for Game 2 on Sunday (3 p.m., NBC, WBZ-FM/98.5), enjoys being given different responsibilities, and is thankful for them.

“We have a lot of great players here, so it’s kind of a treat to get different experiences with different guys,” he said.

“Injuries, missing (McAvoy) for a game, certain matchups that present themselves -- hopefully, getting all those different kinds of assignments during the year pays off now. I’ve become familiar with different people out there, played the left and right side and feel pretty comfortable both ways. Nothing should be an issue going forward.”

Grzelcyk, an outstanding skater who excels in the areas of puck retrieval and breakout passes, had only one hole on his pro resume before this season: He rarely killed penalties. With Miller and Moore out, though, he is seeing more time in shorthanded situations this postseason, and realizing how much he missed it.

“I’m kind of starting to relish playing on the PK more,” said the Charlestown native, who played for Belmont Hill, the U.S. National Development team and Boston University before turning pro two years ago with AHL Providence. “I’d done it most of my life, but since coming into pro hockey, I haven’t done it a whole lot.

“As a player, you just love to be out there as much as you can, so I’ve definitely welcomed that opportunity.”

Grzelcyk credits the Bruins’ defensive system for helping him to fill so many roles.

“The guys on defense here are different ages, different types of players, shoot from different sides,” he said. “But the way our system works, you’re allowed to kind of go in there, know what the coaching staff is asking of you -- they make it very clear -- and then go out there and execute.”

Cassidy thinks Grzelcyk is selling himself a little short.

“He’s a guy you can use in all situations,” the coach said, “and usually, if you’re that player, you’ve got a high hockey IQ. You’re changing on the fly.

“We still want to use his skill set -- good first pass, use (his) feet -- but at the end of the day, he’s been able to adapt to a lot of different situations. That’s why we like him a lot. He’s a bit of an undervalued player in that regard.”

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